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Greece's Push Towards Normality

With the European summer looming, Greece is beginning to ease its lockdown laws to begin the return to normality, or the “new normal” as the government put it. Aiming to be in a place where they can safely re-open the borders to tourists, their efforts are aimed at salvaging what is left of the year in order to keep the tourism industry alive.

Stage one of easing the lockdowns has seen the introduction of some new rules, including the mandatory use of face masks by workers, including those working in the food industry, supermarkets and grocery stores, public transport and taxis, hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, hairdressers and beauty salons. They have also recommended that customers also oblige to wearing face masks, even recommending those working in offices, going to school or university, and those going to places of worship and churches also follow the rule.

While they have allowed for Greeks to travel within their prefecture without an excuse, there are still limits in place regarding travel to other islands. There is aims to allow for full freedom of travel within the country, the situation will be continually assessed with rules being adjusted accordingly. This freedom for movement comes with the implementation of social distancing laws. People must keep a minimum distance of 1.5m between each other. Public gatherings have been recommended to a 10-person limit, with the number of customers allowed into stores also being under strict social distancing rules. This extends to places of worship and churches, who are open to the public but only for individual worship.

Businesses that have been re-opened include retail businesses with lower congestion levels, and businesses offering services, although hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons are working by appointment only, not allowing for walk-ins as a way to control/monitor the number of clients in the store at once.

In an effort to limit the number of people crowding public transport the government has urged people to use personal cars even suspending parking fees in the metropolitan centres.

Anyone caught violating the strict rules put in place by the government will be faced with some hefty fines. Individuals are facing fines starting at 150 euros and going all the way up to 5,000 euros, while businesses will be facing larger fines and possible closures. Their fines will begin at 1,000 euros and go up to 100,000 euros, with closures lasting from 15 to 90 days.

Greece’s quick response and strict measures put in place are what has allowed them to be in a situation where they can re-open their borders to tourists. While the curve has been flattened due to these measures, the situation will have to be continually assessed in order to ensure these changes do not lead to a breakout. The government has advised that they will continue testing in order to accurately monitor this.

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Wondering when you will be able to get your travel fix again? Well we have exciting news to share... Greece's 2020 tourism season will begin again on June 15! On this day, the country will open seasonal hotels and also welcome back flights from abroad. Initially, flights will only be accepted into Athens, with other airports, such as Santorini and Thessaloniki, opening on July 1. Restrictions banning travel to and from islands has also been lifted.
Although they are re-opening, there is a limited list of 20 approved countries that have been granted access. The list will be amended as necessary, but for now, the countries being accepted in are: CyprusIsraelGermanyChinaAustraliaJapanDenmarkAustriaBulgariaSerbiaRomaniaAlbaniaNorth MacedoniaBosnia and HerzegovinaCzech RepublicCroatiaHungaryPolandSlovakiaNorway
Tourists will not be tested or required to quarantine upon arrival to the country, yet it has been advised that randomised test will be carried out to ensure the safety of touri…

After being in the business for over 17 years, there are a
few misconceptions that the destination specialists here at Greece &
Mediterranean Travel Centre have noticed thatkeep
coming up time and time again. It’s time to put these ideas to rest!

1. Myth: A hotel's star rating is the most important. While we can all appreciate how important a hotels star rating is, one thing that doesn’t seem to be completely understood is that official star rates for hotels in various Mediterranean destinations are not based on the same criteria as in Australia. This means that often smaller boutique hotels have a lower rating, such as the 3-star Armeni Village in Santorini, simply due to them not having certain amenities. Therefore, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only looking for hotels based on ratings. This is where having specialists like us who are experts in the area come in handy, as we can recommend places you may not have found when looking by stars. 2. Myth: The best way to compare h…

Greece Med Travel is a boutique travel agency specialising in travel to Greece and several other Mediterranean countries like Croatia, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Jordan Israel and Turkey. We offer local knowledge and product specific to Australian travellers. We offered customised itineraries for independent travellers as well as regular and small group tours.